Fly-trap



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. M. COOK.

FLY TRAP.

N. PETERS. Plwlo-mm m ner. Wishingmu. n.c

1 UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

SAMUEL M. COQK, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF \VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. I

FLY-TRA P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,283, dated June 27, 1882, Application filed March 21, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SAMUEL M. 0001:, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fly-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to simplify the construction and reduce the cost and at the same time render the trap more desirable than those heretofore constructed, by means of a darkened entrance-passage surrounding the food-receptacle, whereby the flies entering are attracted'centrally or inwardly toward the trapping-cone, which receives more light than the entrance-passage; and itconsists in the construction of the lower portion of the body from a single continuous piece of wire-cloth, pressed up so as to form an inner trapping-cone and outer body portion, with a horizontal annular base portion connecting said inner cone and outer body portion, adapted to lit and rest upon and be connected with the said sheet-metal annular top flange of the base portion,as hereinafter more fully described and set forth.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the pressed-up wire-cloth body portion'of a flytrapconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a similar view of the struckup sheet-metal base portion of a fly-trap embodying my invention. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the wire-cloth and sheet metal portions when placed together and fastened. Fig. t represents a side elevation of a complete flytrap supplied with a wood bottom and wire-cloth top. Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of the same. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the bottom with retaining-springs removed from the trap.

1 will first proceed to describe the mode of construction of the sheet-metal portion, in which B represents the vertical sides of the sheet inetal base, having struck up therewith the annular flange F formed by suitable dies from a disk of sheet metal,the annular flange portion serving as a support and. means of connecting the same with the pressed-up wirecloth forming the lower portion of the body, in which J represents the outer body portion of wire-cloth,l1avin g pressed up therewith the inner trapping-cone, D, and connecting annular portion E, which is adapted to rest upon and be-connected to the annular sheet-metal flange F in any suitable manner desired, thus forming the portion of the trap shown in Fig. 3. In forming the wire-cloth body portion 1) E J, suitable dies or molds are employed to press the same into the desired shape shown, so as to form the interior trapping-cone, D, leaving the outer portion, J, in the form of an inverted frustum of a cone, and joining the interior trapping-cone, D, by the annular portion E, which forms a base adapted to fit upon the sheet-metal annular flange F when placed together, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby forming a portion of a wire-cloth fly-trap heretofore complicated and expensive in construction. The two parts thus constructed may be connected or permanently fastened together in various ways, either by means of solder, eyelets, staples, points, or otherwise.

To the upper or mouth portion of the lower body portion, J, may be fitted the pressed-up wire-cloth dome or top N, as shown in Fig. 4. The edges of the said wire-cloth portions fitting together may be provided with the sheetmetal binding-strips K L, as shown in Figs. 4 v

and 5. Now I provide a cylindric wood bottom, A, having a groove or cavity upon its top or upper surface forming a food-receptacle, as shown in Fig. 6. This wood bottom A is provided with vertically-proj ecting flat springs G, bent at an angle so as to leave their free ends projecting outward and. downward, and adapted to fit within the vertical cylindric sheetmetal portion B, and be temporarily connected. or held therein by the frictional contact of the free ends of the said flat sheet-metal springs therewith, the top portion of the said springs O contacting with the under surface of the said sheet-metal annular flange portion F of the base when the top or body portion of the trap is pressed down thereon, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby leaving a free or unobstructed annular passage, 1?, for the flies to enter the trap. between the sides, and top of the bottom A and sheet-metal base portion B F, as shown in said Fig. 5,-wherein it will be seen that the said sheet-metal annular flange F forms a dark space or passage by casting a shadow at the point where the flies partake of the food, by

which they are induced to pass inward toward the center or trapping-cone, which is very much lighter, thereby causing all the flies which enter the trap to feed to pass upward into the same instead of returning outside, as is the case frequently in fly-traps wherein the light is diffused throughout the interior equally.

It will be obvious that the annular flange F of the sheet-metal portion B may be constructed separately or disconnected and secured to the top of the oylindric portion B by solder or otherwise, so as to serve the purposes contemplated by the construction previously described; but this latter plan would somewhat increase the cost.

I am well aware that heretofore fly'traps have been constructed in rectangular form, having ahorizontal floor or cone-support, which formed a dark chamber in connection with the food-receptacle. Therefore I do not claim such as my invention. I am also well aware that pressed up in the form shown, all being con- 5 structed and arranged substantially in the manner described, as and for the purposes set forth.

SAMUEL M. COOK. Witnesses:

SYLvENUs WALKER, D. W. SMITH.

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